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KIDD'S OWN JOURNAL. 



dry food, the adjuncts of a mealworm, 

 spider, wood - louse, ants' eggs, and other 

 delicacies, should be lovingly tendered them 

 at intervals. Those who, from long habit, 

 have fed their birds on raw beef, will find 

 our instructions for its preparation duly 

 recorded in former numbers. Much care 

 is requisite in administering this food, as 

 on its perfect freshness depend the health 

 and excellence of your birds. 



To cause your birds to warble sweetly, 

 and to keep them in continuous song, — study 

 all their little fancies, and render their homes 

 " happy." Then will their lives be one 

 round of pleasure and delight. We have 

 been one of Fortune's favorites in the 

 matter of the black-cap. Such songsters have 

 we had, as perhaps are very seldom indeed 

 to be met with. And as for their tameness 

 and familiarity, — they could not be ex- 

 ceeded. It is quite true that we loved their 

 company, and that we studied their every 

 want. Of all luxuries we found them most 

 greedily fond of soft boiled cabbage, green 

 peas, bread and boiled milk, grocers' cur- 

 rants (soaked) and elderberries. These, and 

 all other seasonable tid-bits, we felt as much 

 pleasure in providing, as our little friends 

 did in partaking of them, when oifered. 

 Our reward was ample ; for their little 

 throats were in a constant state of joyous 

 excitement, — anticipating the treat in the 

 first instance, and gratefully repaying their 

 obligations afterwards. 



The longevity of the black-cap, in a state of 

 nature, is supposed to be about fourteen years. 

 In confinement, if carefully attended to, the 

 average period is about four years. Our advice 

 is, to act with him as with the nightingale— 

 viz., to give him his liberty at the end of 

 three years. He will then troop off with 

 others of his tribe, renew his youth in foreign 

 climes, and return the very year following 

 to his old quarters — not, let us hope, to be 

 again immured. This would be barbarity ! 



We have often thought that these in- 

 nocent little creatures were formed not only 

 for their own happy enjoyment, but to teach 

 us mortals great moral lessons. At all 

 events, of this we are very sure, — we our- 

 selves have derived much sound wholesome 

 knowledge from the study of their ways. 

 We have found them easily won by kindness 

 from naturally-bad habits, and our patience 

 lias invariably been rewarded by some pleas- 

 ing success ; even in cases which have been 

 pronounced by others to be hopeless. Many 

 persons we are aware, have smiled at our 

 " vain philosophy;" some have ridiculed our 

 " singularly-d roll hobby. " With the first of 

 these — unreflecting individuals, we can 

 patiently and cheerfully argue the point ; 

 with the last — a merry, harmless tribe — 

 we can afford good-temperedly to exchange 



a laugh. Others, however, who from their 

 profession ought to know better, have not 

 hesitated rudely to express their doubts as 

 to the truth of what we have advanced. 

 These latter, judging only from their own 

 limited observation, or pinning their faith im- 

 plicitly on what they have read in books — 

 very good as far as it goes — are not justified 

 in speaking oracularly on what is so very 

 far beyond their comprehension. To such 

 silly bigots we would say : — 



" Let no presuming, cavilling railer tax 

 Creative Wisdom, — as if aught was form'd 

 In vain, or not for admirable ends. 

 Shall little haughty Ignorance pronounce 

 His works unwise, of which the smallest part 

 Exceeds the narrow vision of her mind? " 



A thorough knowledge of Natural History 

 is not to be gained from books only. All 

 who would arrive at an intimate acquaint- 

 ance with the habits of birds and insects, 

 must rise at early dawn, live in the woods and 

 fields, and make Nature their study. Every 

 day reveals some new fact to a close observer; 

 and it is the record of such interesting facts 

 that lends so great a charm to Science. 

 Such pursuits as these have been our delight 

 from infancy. 



We need only add, that although the 

 black-cap's plumage is of a silky and most 

 delicate texture, yet he moults freely in a 

 cage. He must, of course, be kept warm ; 

 but not too closely covered up. His cheer- 

 fulness will " pull him through" the ailments 

 peculiar to this annual visitation of nature ; 

 and he will come forth decked in a suit of 

 new and beautiful apparel. Au reste — what 

 we have recommended for the nightingale 

 concerns the black-cap equally. 



By the way, you may have one of each 

 bird in the same apartment ; but, of course, 

 they should never be allowed to see each 

 other. We have given a fair character to 

 both — have " nothing extenuated nor set 

 down aught in malice ; " therefore, gentle 

 reader — 



'• Utrum horum mavis, accipe ! " 



It rests with yourself to make a " happy 

 choice." May your little friend do honor 

 to his patron's judgment!* 



* Our Treatise on "The Black-Cap" is this 

 day completed. The same honor, we may 

 observe, has been paid it, as was lavished on its 

 predecessors — large portions having been trans- 

 ferred to the columns of most of our public 

 Journals. 



Death of Dr. Macgillivray. -— ■ Dr. W. 

 Macgillivray, Professor of Natural History, in 

 Marischal College, Aberdeen, died last week at 

 his own house, after a lingering illness. He was 

 the author of several works on Natural History, 

 and regarded as an " authority." _ The Crown 

 has the patronage of the vacant chair. 



